Dark chocolate and red wine cake

The name says it all. Dark chocolate. Red wine. In a cake that highlights both. Pam-pam.


This cake was truly the ultimate thing if you're the type that likes intense things like dark chocolate and red wine. Like us :). Its texture was fluffy and fudge-like at the same time, the red wine flavor was still there (you could taste it after the baking as well); it was topped with some orange slices poached in a dark chocolate and red wine thick sauce, and a little bowl of the said sauce was also available for more pouring on each slice of cake. 

All this didn't come with the usual prices: a ton of calories or a lot of time spent in the kitchen. It's really lighter than most similar cakes (not that there really are any similar cakes out there - trust me, none compare) and way easier to make than you would expect.
For us it was the perfect end to a relaxed pizza afternoon with friends coming over. :) 
I know this is often said about cakes and I usually roll my eyes when I hear it, but this is actually a voluptuous cake with a sensual, velvet-like texture and taste. 
Recipe slightly adapted from my lovely friends from Kiss the Cook.




Last year: A different kind of bun in the oven (and no cooking due to continuous morning sickness). :)




Ingredients (for a 24 cm springform tin):


For the cake:

• 210 g brown sugar
• 60 g white sugar
• 100 g butter
• 2 eggs
• 200 ml dry red wine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 150 g flour
• 50 g cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt

For the syrup: 

• 100 ml red wine
• 100 g dark chocolate
• 50 g white sugar

For decorating: 

• 1 small/medium orange, sliced
• 1/5 of the syrup

To get started, mix both the sugars with the softened butter until even. Add the eggs:

Mix well, then add the red wine and vanilla.

Mix again. In a separate bowl mix together the sifted flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients in the wet ones until you obtain an even mixed batter:

To bake, preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and butter the springform. Dust it with some extra cocoa powder (in this cake's case, works better than flour and when you'll have the first bite you'll understand why).

Pour the batter in the prepared tin and put it in the preheated oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out with only a few moist crumbs (you don't want a perfectly dry cake so you can keep some of the fudge-texture magic).
Meanwhile prepare the syrup. Put the ingredients in a pot over low heat:

Mix once in a while until they're combined and the chocolate completely melted. Cut the orange into slices:

And add them too to the syrup:

Mix to get the slices covered in sauce and keep simmering for 4-5 minutes until they're softened. Remove the little sauce pot from heat and let rest.
When the cake is done baking, wait a bit for it to cool enough to be handled and revert on a serving platter.

Decorate with the orange slices (don't worry, they'll be completely soft and edible) and a bit of the sauce, then pour the rest of it in a bowl and have it nearby to serve.

It's ready, dig in!

P.S: It's ok to lick plates. We'll understand. :)